Andy Serkis will monkey around in 'Rise of the Apes'

Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesNearly a decade after Tim Burton brought the sci-fi classic to the big screen (the stomach-churning twist at the end was the realization that you actually spent money to see it), the latest entry in the Planet of the Apes saga actually seems to be shaping up pretty well. Andy Serkis, whose simian credits include playing Peter Jackson’s King Kong, has joined the prequel project, titled Rise of the Apes. He’ll play the chimp who leads the titular uprising, and I for one couldn’t be happier that he’s got his paws on this damn, dirty role.

Hopefully his motion-capture emoting will help make sure this entry in the series isn’t as bad as the last one, but no production news for this film will truly appease until they announce that they’re doing it as a musical. I’ve been waiting for years to see the bigscreen adaptation of Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off! What say you, PopWatchers? Excited to see the man who brought Gollum to life (along with 843,003 animators) in Rise of the Apes? Tell us what you think below, or take this opportunity to correct me on the fact that a chimpanzee isn’t actually a monkey. It’s up to you!